Hot on the heels of winning a 2014 New York Emmy® Award for Best Children’s Programming, Alex & The Kaleidoscope, with Alex Mitnick at the helm, has a splendid itinerary of colorful musical adventures in store for kids with the September 25 release of their new album, Get On Board!

Alex & The Kaleidoscope’s songs unfold like storybooks, captivating young minds and stirring their imaginations.  Get On Board! invites children to observe and celebrate the world around them.  Associating the pleasure of a sweet tune with an interesting insect or the color and shape of a shark, singing along to a song about delicious garden vegetables, or dancing to a funky rhythm while hearing a list of recycled materials — all of these make connections in a child’s mind that will last a lifetime.

Honored over the past eleven years with 18 national awards, Alex Mitnick’s work has earned kudos from some of the most discerning critics in the children’s entertainment arena.  Jeff Bogle of Out With The Kids lauded Alex’s “groove-oriented, world music-infused, rich & textured rock-n-roll.”  Kathy O’Connell, host of WXPN’s Peabody Award-winning radio show, Kids Corner, praised Alex & The Kaleidoscope for “musical depth combined with witty lyrics that talk directly to kids.”

Setting the pace for Get On Board! is the “Alex & The Kaleidoscope Theme Song,” which manages, in just 60 seconds, to cover three different sounds, tempi, and styles, unified by the lilting friendliness ofAlex Mitnick’s warm voice.  The question, “Who’s that comin’ down the track?” receives some fun (and funky) answers on the album’s title song, “Get On Board.”  Next, the band slides into a mood of great mystery, painting a deliciously creepy sound picture on “Insect Tourists.”

Other highlights include “Outside,” a Rolling Stones-type rock anthem showcasing the “built in smile” that has become a signature of all Alex Mitnick vocals, “Recycle,” a funky, ’70s-style reminder to stop pollution by becoming part of the solution, and Alex & The Kaleidoscope’srendition of the classic African-American spiritual, “Oh, Won’t You Sit Down,” which is marvelously done, with a spirited, authentic ring and perfect electric guitar instrumental break.

A graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Alex Mitnick is dedicated to both teaching and performing.  In addition to touring the nation and producing award-winning television shows and recordings with Alex & The Kaleidoscope, Alex has spent the past fifteen years honing his unique teaching style, incorporating percussion, games, movement, and, as he says, “lots and lots of singing” into a fun and engaging musical experience.  Since 2000, Alex has directed the music program for children eighteen months through eighth grade at the Princeton Montessori School in Princeton, New Jersey.

Full episodes of the award-winning Alex & The Kaleidoscope TV show can be seen on YouTube, Kidoodle.TV, AmebaTV, Toon Goggles, and Battery Pop.

I received an advanced copy of this CD and as with other music by Alex & The Kaleidoscope…this is a CD full of upbeat & lively music and is a whole lot of fun for children ages 4-8!  I highly recommend!

Get On Board! will be available at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and on the Alex & The Kaleidoscope website, HERE.

Visit Alex & The Kaleidoscope’s website HERE.

Alex & The Kaleidoscope on Facebook.

Alex & The Kaleidoscope on Twitter.

Alex & The Kaleidoscope on YouTube.

Self Disclosure: I received a free CD to facilitate this post.

Are you in the Military and have a child? Maybe you know a child who has a Dad that is active duty? Looking for a wonderful way to explain to them about deployment, then “The Deployment Bear” is for you! I love this concept, story book and plush bear! I live on a Military base and although my husband is not active duty, I can see how helpful this book would be. It really would make a great gift. Young children will be able to relate to the little Bear and the concept of deployment. I also think that the plush bear is a great addition to the book. A wonderful story and a great idea for a gift! I highly recommend for all young children with parents who are in the military. The Deployment Bear truly is a Must-Buy!

Find out more or purchase at  www.htraditions.com.

Self Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate this post. No other compensation was received and SoCal City Kids highly approves this product.

LONDON, 2^nd September 2015: Entertainment One Family (eOne) is proud to announce that its innovative new CGI animated series, PJ Masks, will receive its broadcast debut on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in the U.S. on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 and France 5 in France later this fall.

PJ Masks is produced by eOne and Frog Box, in collaboration with the award-winning French animation studio TeamTO, and with Disney Junior and France 5. The series is based on French author Romuald Racioppo’s imaginative and striking picture book series ‘Les Pyjamasques’. A much loved publishing property in its native France, where books debuted in 2008, 15 titles have been published in the country to date with plans to release two new titles every year.

“Our new landmark property, PJ Masks, brings popular superhero themes to a preschool audience and we’re incredibly excited about the upcoming premiere on Disney Junior and France 5,” says Olivier Dumont, Managing Director of eOne Family. “PJ Masks is a winning combination – both pre-school boys and girls will love and be empowered by the show’s heroic and fantasy based storylines whilst being able to relate to the central themes of friendship and teamwork.”

With Disney Junior and France 5 both gearing up to launch this fall, PJ Masks will make its world TV broadcast premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in the U.S. on September 18, 2015. Following its U.S. debut, PJ Masks will roll out on the Disney Junior channels around the world from 2016.

Hélène Etzi, Senior Vice President General Manager, Disney Channels EMEA comments: “I’m always incredibly impressed with the breadth of creative talent across Europe, including my home country of France.  From the moment that Frog Box first pitched Romuald’s book to us in our Paris office, we knew that a PJ Masks series could deliver a new kind of age-appropriate super-hero adventure with great characters, universal themes, and sharp storylines that would strike a chord with pre-schoolers and their parents around the world.  Helping to bring this series to life in collaboration with Frog Box, leading independent, eOne, and top animation studio, TeamTO, underlines our commitment to creating and sourcing the very best content for kids that not only works on a local level, but a global basis too, no matter where the ideas and stories are created.”

eOne handles global distribution and licensing for the show, which brings a new band of  super hero characters to the world of preschool entertainment. A full-scale global consumer products program will be led by eOne Licensing to complement the series.

PJ Masks follows the thrilling night time adventures of three young friends who transform into their dynamic super hero alter egos, Catboy, Owlette and Gekko, when they put their pyjamas on at night and activate their animal amulets. Together they embark on action packed capers, solving mysteries and learning valuable lessons along the way.

Olivier Dumont adds “This property exemplifies what we’re really trying to do with our overall offering. We’re creating highly sought-after original content with global multi-platform potential. Our long-term strategy is to build a robust portfolio with exciting marketing prospects for boys and girls in each key age group and strong digital and ancillary avenues to maximize our already prolific licensing infrastructure. The licensing program for PJ Masks will skew slightly more towards boys, which perfectly complements the girl skewing licensing program for Peppa Pig. ”

About Entertainment One

Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content.  The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea.  Through established Film and Television divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 40,000 film and television titles, 4,500 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks

Credit: Entertainment One.